Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

ProSense

(116,464 posts)
Wed May 14, 2014, 07:19 PM May 2014

Sony Pictures Buys Film Rights to Book on Snowden (updated)

Last edited Wed May 14, 2014, 09:01 PM - Edit history (1)

Sony Pictures Buys Film Rights to Book on Snowden

By MICHAEL CIEPLY

LOS ANGELES — After a long, slow haul, the film rights to Glenn Greenwald’s book about Edward J. Snowden and his revelations about electronic surveillance by United States security officials have found a home, at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Sony said on Wednesday that it had acquired rights to Mr. Greenwald’s book, “No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA and the U. S. Surveillance State,” for the producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. Mr. Wilson and Ms. Broccoli are known for their work on James Bond films like “Skyfall” and “Quantum of Solace,” both of which were released by Sony and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Mr. Greenwald’s book, whose rights were represented by both the Paradigm agency and Writers House, had been in consideration around Hollywood since the fall, as potential buyers fretted about how to tell a real-life story that is still playing out. Mr. Snowden remains in Russia, and is wanted by the authorities in the United States, where he faces criminal charges. Last month, he retained a Washington lawyer in hopes of reaching a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Sony is no stranger to the complexities of timely nonfiction, having released both “The Social Network,” about Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg, and “Zero Dark Thirty,” about the killing of Osama bin Laden. “No Place to Hide” was published in the United States by Metropolitan Books, an imprint of Henry Holt & Company.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/15/business/media/sony-pictures-buys-film-rights-to-book-on-snowden.html


Updated to add:

Glenn Greenwald: Edward Norton floated for movie

By LUCY MCCALMONT

Journalist Glenn Greenwald doesn’t want to speculate on who will play him and Edward Snowden in a movie, but has already heard of a few possibilities.

“The leading names, that I’ve seen are Jared Leto for Edward Snowden, who with I’m not really familiar. And Edward Norton has been mentioned a lot for me, but that’s definitely very low on my list of priorities,” Greenwald told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead” on Wednesday.

“There’s all kinds of speculation, I’m going to leave that to Twitter, for the most part,” he said.

- more -

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/glenn-greenwald-edward-norton-movie-106690.html



39 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Sony Pictures Buys Film Rights to Book on Snowden (updated) (Original Post) ProSense May 2014 OP
Ha! But but it's Not about Snowden, or Greenwald. It's about Da Money! n/t Whisp May 2014 #1
Cash rules. n/t ProSense May 2014 #13
we better start casting Enrique May 2014 #2
Charles Johnson struck on the perfect Greenwald: OilemFirchen May 2014 #3
(That's Paul Reubens, aka Pee Wee Herman, for those who don't know) wheniwasincongress May 2014 #14
holy crap! m-lekktor May 2014 #4
Kick! n/t ProSense May 2014 #5
But-but-but Greenwald doesn't do it for the money! BlueCaliDem May 2014 #6
See the update. ProSense May 2014 #18
Here's what a real whistleblower thinks of this whole money making scheme. Tarheel_Dem May 2014 #7
Snowden Fiction.. "Leaking to the Highest Bidder.." is right! Cha May 2014 #9
This: ProSense May 2014 #16
Pure fiction.. we already know greenwald lies, embellishes, and fabricates to fit his own damn Cha May 2014 #17
This whole thing is bizarre. n/t ProSense May 2014 #20
Yes, it is Bizarre. But, that's what we've come to expect from greedwald's Leak for Profit business. Cha May 2014 #21
uh oh. nt bunnies May 2014 #11
Holy Hell. She nailed Greenwald (and Snowden) to the wall with every nail in the damn box!! Number23 May 2014 #34
very smart of greenwald, this means there could be at least one sequeal JI7 May 2014 #8
'Non-fiction?' randome May 2014 #10
No.. Cha May 2014 #22
that big thing greenwald was talking about, maybe he is saving it for the movie JI7 May 2014 #12
The Big Thing will be like Spinal Tap Whisp May 2014 #19
Well, this buzz is a dud. n/t ProSense May 2014 #24
I hope it's like The Social Network (Zuckerberg) and The Fifth Estate (Assange) in that wheniwasincongress May 2014 #15
K! Cha May 2014 #23
Kick! n/t ProSense May 2014 #25
Do you think Snowden will constantly be bathed in giftedgirl77 May 2014 #26
since this is greenwald's deal i'm sure he will be the one who looks like a hero JI7 May 2014 #37
Snowden leaked so Greenwald could get rich? nt msanthrope May 2014 #27
We need to work on a book together. joshcryer May 2014 #28
There's a money train acalling!!!! We just need the right billionaire to suck up to. nt msanthrope May 2014 #31
Cha's picture sums it up better than any words ever could Number23 May 2014 #36
Oh shite!!! Perfect!!! nt msanthrope May 2014 #38
Coming soon to a theatre near you! A Marvel Comics alternate universe movie! randome May 2014 #29
From Sony press release: ProSense May 2014 #30
Whatever greenwald.. Cha May 2014 #32
oof Egnever May 2014 #33
Good God. Know who I'm nominating for Grifter of the Year now Number23 May 2014 #35
Too funny what does Eddy get, borscht? Historic NY May 2014 #39

wheniwasincongress

(1,307 posts)
14. (That's Paul Reubens, aka Pee Wee Herman, for those who don't know)
Wed May 14, 2014, 08:35 PM
May 2014

Spot on! I think there's another actor GG reminds me of but I can't put my finger on it yet.

BlueCaliDem

(15,438 posts)
6. But-but-but Greenwald doesn't do it for the money!
Wed May 14, 2014, 07:54 PM
May 2014


K&R

Strange that you're not getting more kicks and rec'ds on this. I wonder why...

Tarheel_Dem

(31,207 posts)
7. Here's what a real whistleblower thinks of this whole money making scheme.
Wed May 14, 2014, 07:54 PM
May 2014
Sibel Edmonds: "Checkbook Journalism & Leaking to the Highest Bidders"

"That’s right. A whistleblower breaks the law to obtain 50,000 documents, he flees the country to escape prosecution and jail time, he hands over these 50,000 pages to a handful of individuals in return for their promise to present these documents to the public, six months pass, and the public gets 1% of these documents. But please, wait. This is not all. Far more interesting and troubling things happen meanwhile.

The main wanna-be reporter begins his relentless pursuit of high dollars in return for … for what? In return for exclusive interviews where he would discuss some of this material. In return for a very lucrative book deal where he would expose a few extra pages of these 50,000-page documents. In return for a partnership with and extremely high salary from a Mega Corporation (think 1%) where he would … hmmmm, well, it is not very clear: maybe in return for sitting on and never releasing some of these documents, or, releasing a few select pages?

That’s right. The culprit is able to use his role in the whistleblower case, and his de facto ownership of the whistleblower’s 50,000-page evidence, to gain huge sums of money, fame, a mega corporate position, book and movie deals … yet, making sure that the public would never see more than a few percent of the incriminating evidence.

Of course, secondhand checkbook profiteers tend to be very savvy, able to blow smoke, muddy water, and obscure their real deeds and true personhoods. This particular one is famous for spending years as an ambulance-chasing style attorney, where all he had to do was to write dozens of pages to make cases that were never cases, or make real cases appear as if they never were."


- See more at: http://www.boilingfrogspost.com/2013/12/08/checkbook-journalism-leaking-to-the-highest-bidders/#sthash.esuPxh6S.dpuf


If it's truly in the public interest to know this closely held information, why is GG allowed to profit from it? Afterall, those are government documents. They belong to all of us, right? But we have to pay for the pleasure?

ProSense

(116,464 posts)
16. This:
Wed May 14, 2014, 08:49 PM
May 2014
Mr. Greenwald’s book, whose rights were represented by both the Paradigm agency and Writers House, had been in consideration around Hollywood since the fall, as potential buyers fretted about how to tell a real-life story that is still playing out. Mr. Snowden remains in Russia, and is wanted by the authorities in the United States, where he faces criminal charges. Last month, he retained a Washington lawyer in hopes of reaching a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Cha

(295,899 posts)
17. Pure fiction.. we already know greenwald lies, embellishes, and fabricates to fit his own damn
Wed May 14, 2014, 09:02 PM
May 2014

narrative.

I just realized why greenmeanie is so vilely venomous on Hillary.. she brought up that Snowden helped terrorists.



More Snowden leaks - and this time Al Qaeda is the surveillance target (+video)

".. But what caught my eye in one of the unredacted slides was the mention of Al Qaeda in Iraq being a particular target of the NSA's efforts. The slide reads: "Visual Communicator – Free application that combines Instant Messaging, Photo-Messaging, and Push2Talk capabilities on a mobile platform. VC used on GPRS or 3G networks." The next five words were what the Times tried and failed to redact: "heavily used in AQI Mosul Network."

The aim as described in the documents is to target mobile phone apps that can give away a target's physical location. The utility of this in tracking terrorists hardly needs to be stated. The document describes a program focusing on clear security interests – Al Qaeda in Iraq, now calling itself Al Qaeda in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) – killed thousands in Iraq during the US-led war there and continues to carry out suicide bombings and attacks on civilians there on a weekly basis. ISIS is also deeply involved in the civil war in Syria, and the groups ties to Al Qaeda make it an obvious security concern for the US.."


snip//

"..But his claim that "none of this has anything to do with terrorism" is not reasonable. That's pure nonsense -- as is his attempt to suggest that any revelations of eavesdropping techniques can't do any harm because terrorists already know all about it. Terrorists may know that the US is trying to spy on them as best it can (just as Germany and France know that). But knowing the precise method is another thing altogether."

MOre..
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/Backchannels/2014/0130/More-Snowden-leaks-and-this-time-Al-Qaeda-is-the-surveillance-target-video

Cha

(295,899 posts)
21. Yes, it is Bizarre. But, that's what we've come to expect from greedwald's Leak for Profit business.
Wed May 14, 2014, 09:38 PM
May 2014

JI7

(89,173 posts)
8. very smart of greenwald, this means there could be at least one sequeal
Wed May 14, 2014, 08:00 PM
May 2014

if/when snowden returns or whatever else happens later.

 

randome

(34,845 posts)
10. 'Non-fiction?'
Wed May 14, 2014, 08:08 PM
May 2014

[hr][font color="blue"][center]"The whole world is a circus if you know how to look at it."
Tony Randall, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)
[/center][/font][hr]

wheniwasincongress

(1,307 posts)
15. I hope it's like The Social Network (Zuckerberg) and The Fifth Estate (Assange) in that
Wed May 14, 2014, 08:37 PM
May 2014

the film is greatly disliked and criticized by its subject!

JI7

(89,173 posts)
37. since this is greenwald's deal i'm sure he will be the one who looks like a hero
Sat May 17, 2014, 02:19 AM
May 2014

it was posted before that greenwald is already saying things to minimize snowden's part in all of this.

joshcryer

(62,265 posts)
28. We need to work on a book together.
Fri May 16, 2014, 03:21 PM
May 2014

Certainly someone can get on this bandwagon for the better good.

 

randome

(34,845 posts)
29. Coming soon to a theatre near you! A Marvel Comics alternate universe movie!
Fri May 16, 2014, 03:28 PM
May 2014

Glenn Greenwald as Reed Richards
Edward Snowden as the Invisible Kid
Julian Assange as the Human Torch
And of course Vladimir Putin as Ben Grimm.

Yes! The new Fantastic Four!
[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.
[/center][/font][hr]

ProSense

(116,464 posts)
30. From Sony press release:
Fri May 16, 2014, 04:16 PM
May 2014
Sony Pictures Entertainment Options Pulitzer Prize Winner Glenn Greenwald's Book On Edward Snowden

<...>

Greenwald added, "I'm very happy to be working with Amy Pascal, Doug Belgrad, and the team at Sony Pictures Entertainment who have a successful track record of making thoughtful and nuanced true-life stories that audiences want to see. Growing up, I was heavily influenced by political films, and am excited about the opportunity to be part of a political film that will resonate with today's moviegoers."

<...>

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sony-pictures-entertainment-options-pulitzer-prize-winner-glenn-greenwalds-book-on-edward-snowden-259246721.html

Cha

(295,899 posts)
32. Whatever greenwald..
Sat May 17, 2014, 01:54 AM
May 2014

Gus @Gus_802
Follow

ICYMI: When Greenwald Met Snowden

1:29 PM - 15 May 2014

33 Retweets 12 favorites •Reply
•Retweet
•Favorite

http://theobamadiary.com/2014/05/16/rise-and-shine-820/
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Sony Pictures Buys Film R...